About Jocylynne Stephenson

Our lives are made up of many different people and events. Think of your best friend, your favorite teacher, or your boss. Think of your birthday, a loved one’s funeral, or your favorite holiday. Each holds a meaning that shapes how you interact with the world every day. But time, life, and unexpected circumstances can challenge those meanings and lead you to doubt them, resulting in both internal and external conflicts. When conflicts arise, we are forced to adapt our meanings or risk stagnating in old patterns of behavior.

As your therapist, I am committed to helping you explore your personal meanings and how they affect your everyday life. I’ll help you build skills to resolve conflicts by delving into the sources of your meanings and the challenges to them. I will never judge you or the legitimacy of your meanings, but gently guide you as you explore and adapt them to best fit your own life.

Like my colleagues here at Emily Cook Therapy, I believe that the foundation of any good therapeutic relationship is mutual trust and respect. Countless studies (and personal experiences) have shown that a positive relationship in the therapy room is the top predictor of positive results from counseling. In our therapy sessions, I’ll earn your trust by combining practiced empathy, compassionate questioning, and an optimistic outlook. I want you to come to session knowing that no problem is too small or too great for us to tackle together. This is my belief for my own life, and the belief I hold for all of the people I help in therapy.

Lastly, a little bit about me: As a former Navy dependent, I am intimately familiar with the unique strengths and challenges of military families. Prior to becoming a licensed MFT, I worked in military Family Programs, first with the U.S. Army Reserves, then with U.S. Army Installation Management Command, and finally with the Military Spouse Employment Partnership. It was my commitment to helping military families—and all families—that led me to my current field.

I have been practicing therapy since 2013, and specialize in depression and anxiety, stress management, self-esteem and identity concerns, and family and couple conflict. I’m also certified in Prepare/Enrich Counseling for dating, engaged, and married couples who want to strengthen their relationships and grow together, and in Discernment Counseling for couples looking for clarity as they face possible separation.

I completed my Masters in Couples and Family Therapy at the University of Maryland in 2015. My thesis research focused on issues of self-esteem in transracially-adopted adolescents.

Endorsement by Practice Owner, Dr. Emily Cook

Jocylynn strives to help her clients feel appreciated and understood. She believes that each individual, couple, and family deserves respect and empathy–and that belief comes through strongly in her work with clients here at Emily Cook Therapy. She balances gentleness with motivation, curiosity and expertise. Jocylynn’s warmth and supportive nature helps her clients grow love and acceptance for themselves and build problem-solving skills that help them tackle their specific difficulties and challenges, in both relationships and in life. I hope you reach out to Jocylynn today and experience for yourself her unique blend of calm encouragement and passionate listening.

Jocylynn Stephenson is accepting new clients. She is available Tuesday daytime and evenings, from noon to 9 PM, Thursday daytime and evenings from noon to 9 PM, and Saturdays from noon to 5 PM.

Education

MS, Couple and Family Therapy, University of Maryland, College Park

BA, Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Virginia

Maryland Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist #LGM545, licensed since 2015